hi! i'm rue, i'm a blogger (you can find me at https://ruelilith.wordpress.com/) and am a sinner saved by God's divine grace. i am autistic, an infp, a theater dork, a writer (my debut poetry collection was published in december 2022), a lover of fresh starts, and a non denominational christian (with catholic roots). i adore marveling at the stars in the night sky, fairytale retellings, matcha green tea lattes, skincare, long flowy dresses, vintage femininity, bullet journaling, and writing poetry.
hi, sweet friends! i hope you’re all doing well 💛 today i’m interviewing one of my lovely friends, isabella ruiz, about her debut novel, the darkest war. isabella and i met on the young writers workshop community, 2 years ago, and we’ve been friends ever since. i’ve been excited ever since she introduced tdw, and i’m so excited to finally get to read it.
so, without further ado, here’s my interview with isabella. 💛
what made you start writing?
i wanted to create stories like the ones i was reading. at the time, when i was twelve, it was books like the hunger games, keeper of the lost cities, and books like that.
2. when did you start writing the darkest war?
october 22nd of 2022.
3. what inspired the idea?
lots of different things. i needed an outlet and honestly, i can’t pin my inspiration to just one thing. it was a myriad.
4. are there any biblical themes?
there are…but they are more prevalent in the following books. in one scene, isadora scenes a mural of the garden of eden. she talks about her families faith as well as side character’s faith.
5. can you reveal one spoiler? 😀 /jkjkjk
well, of course not! you’re just going to have to wait and see all of the fun things that happen!
6. what’s your weirdest search related to tdw?
there have been so many…perhaps the fact that i studied different types of poisons for a good month and a half and then ended up ditching the idea entirely.
7. what advice do you have for new writers?
get a strong community and never give up. write even if you don’t feel like it.
8. what’s been the hardest part of writing tdw?
honestly, writing the darkest war was incredibly easy. editing not so much.…
9. what is the theme bible verse of tdw?
“he changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” – daniel 2:21
10. how has God shown Himself to you through tdw?
he’s shown me the lesson of forgiveness and doing the right thing even in difficult times
about isabella
isabella ruiz is a teenage author from southern alabama who aims to inspire and entertain with her stories of hope in dark times and fantastical adventures. with almost five years of writing experience, and several full length novels under her belt, she is excited to share her love of books with the world.
thank you so so much for reading this post! 💛 if you enjoyed this, would you consider subscribing, clicking that like button, and leaving a comment? thank you so much! don’t forget to check out the darkest war!
what is your weirdest writing related search? let me know in the comments below!
Hiii, sweet friends! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I know, I need to get around to writing a life update post. A lot’s happened since I last posted, and it’s too much to explain in this post. All I’ll share right now is that I’m doing a lot better than I was 6 months ago. 💛
And so, here’s my introduction to my NaNoWriMo novel, Project Rosemary. I’ll be using Christine Smith’s Know The Novel questions.
(Also is anyone else in shock that it’s almost November?? I feel like it’s still June 😅)
1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?
I’ve really wanted to write a story that somehow relates to Ophelia, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, for a long time now. I recently was struggling with what to write for NaNoWriMo, and by the grace of God, this story began to take form in my mind. And so, slowly, Project Rosemary was born.
2. Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!
Project Rosemary is a tender, quiet middle grade novel about mental illness, generational trauma, small towns, failed actresses, the late 1980s, and grief. I’m so excited to write it 💛
3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects of the setting?
It takes place in a (currently unnamed) small town, about a stones throw from Los Angelos. Just close enough for my failed actress character to believe that she can still pursue her dreams, but also just far enough that it’s always out of reach. </3 I love the fact that the town is small, and filled with a quirky cast of characters (which is literally every town I’ve ever written about but it’s okay *facedesk*). I haven’t really figured out more details than that— I don’t tend to plan out how my setting will look, I just sort of jump into the story and find out. 😅
4. Tell us about your protagonist(s).
Oooh, this is the question I’ve been most excited for. I love rambling about my characters XP. My protagonist is a 12 year old girl named Aspen Wakefield. She’s an enneagram 6w5, with OCD and a passion for tea gardening and photography. She’s too responsible for her age, and has grown up being an almost parent for her mom: a failed actress who believes that she is Ophelia reincarnate.
5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?
I’m about to get really philosophical here, so please bear with me 😅*stands on a soap box* *taps microphone* ahem, the antagonist is human brokenness. Or, to be more specific (or more confusing, depending on how you would like to define it), the antagonist is the effects of living on this broken planet filled with sin 😅In all seriousness, the antagonist is probably Aspen’s mother. I hate the trope of mentally ill people being the villains, and so I would like to make it very clear that her mother is not the antagonist because of her mental illnesses. She is a very nuanced character, and while I won’t get into all the details in this post, I just wanted to make it as clear as possible that I will not be villainizing her mental illness. There is so much more to her than her mental illnesses, as you will find out if I ever publish this (or, you know, actually write it 😅)
6. What excites you the most about this novel?
The aesthetic. Oh my word, the aesthetic. It’s like if We Dream of Space and Stranger Things had an aesthetic mixture. The aesthetic has honestly been the best part of this. It’s yellow wall phones, antique paintings, vintage photos, broken lockers, the scent of old books, and lopsided smiles.
7. Is this going to be a series? standalone? something else?
Standalone, most likely. Most of my novels are standalones (:
8. Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?
I’m plotting!! I’ve been using Chat GPT for that (seriously, it’s super helpful for organizing ideas and brainstorming and also finding face claims).
9. Name a few unique elements in this story.
Well, for one, it’s ownvoices OCD rep (which is rare), and it deals with grieving someone who was very hard to love.
10. Share some fun “extras” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).
Wellllllll there’s Requiem from Dear Evan Hansen, which sums up Aspen’s emotional turmoil, and there’s the Pinterest board I made (:
Thank you so much for reading this post, friend. If you enjoyed this, please consider liking, subscribing, and maybe leaving a comment. It would mean the world to me. 💛
Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? What’s your project about? Let me know in the comments!
Hi, sweet friends! I’m so excited for today’s post: a guest post by one of my wonderful YWW friends, Lily, about her Etsy shop that’s she’s reopening. She’s such an inspiration to me, and I’m so excited for you guys to hear her story. I hope you enjoy and are blessed by this post! 💛
Hello everyone! My name is Lily, and I’m the proud owner of Designed By WaterLily. I have run my own small business for over 2 ½ years, and I’m so blessed to have seen it grow and thrive! I started this shop when I was thirteen years old, dedicated to saving up so that one day I could sponsor a child through Compassion International. That day finally came on August 31, 2021, when I began sponsoring a five-year-old girl from Togo, Africa.
Back when I opened my shop in 2020, I began making handmade soaps, saving half of all my proceeds towards that cause. Over the years, I have improved my products, response time, shop design, and packaging so that I can serve my customers to the best of my ability. This season, I’m offering a limited-time summer soap collection with scents never before seen in my store—plus a few other perks that I hope you’ll check out.
Now, as my shop is reopening for the summer season, I need your help! My Etsy store is the main source of income I have currently to support my sponsored child. So if you would, please take a moment to share the link with someone who may be interested, or post about it on social media. Or if you’re so able, please consider purchasing an item from my shop.
Here’s the best part—I’m hosting a giveaway for the first time! You can win one of my cotton candy soaps (a listing that’s not currently available on my shop!) just by clicking a button. You can also earn more entries by sharing the link to my shop or personally referring a few friends! The giveaway is open through May 18th.
If you can’t do any of the things that I talked about above, that’s okay. The biggest support you could possibly give me is prayer—so please take a moment to pray for my sponsored child, and for the furthering of my shop for this cause. Thank you so much for all of your support!
If you’re interested, here is the link to my shop. And if you’d like to enter the giveaway, please fill out this form here. Thank you so much for reading, and God bless!
~Lily ♥️
I hope you guys enjoyed reading that as much as I did! Now, go check out Lily’s Etsy shop and enter her giveaway. I promise you won’t regret it. 💛
There are few things more exciting than the beginning of summer, when there’s a promise of things to come, and an exciting sense of fresh starts in the air, and every school student lets out a sigh of relief, because it’s finally time to just rest. Summer is like an entire season of Sabbath, where we get a break before another school year starts again. It’s so easy though, to find yourself at the end of summer, exhausted and drained, realizing you wasted the entire season lying on the couch, binging Boy Meets World (okay, that might just be a me thing 😂). Which is why I figured I’d write this post, not just to help you guys make the most of your summers, but also to help myself.
I’ll definitely be referencing this post throughout the summer (:
1. Dedicate Your Summer to The Lord
I can’t stress how important this is when it comes to planning your summer. It’s so easy to forget that this season is His, for Him to use for His glory. We can get so caught up in the excitement of planning, that we lose sight of what’s really important about this season (and all seasons, really!)
My favorite way to keep myself reminded that my life is not my own is to leave a little calligraphy note on my wall for myself to see all summer. I still need to make this note though 😂
2. Make a “Curriculum Plan”
I don’t know about you, but I personally feel extremely out of wack if I don’t have a stable list of assignments for every day, whether that’s during the school year or summer. I also have a list of things I want to teach myself outside of school, which is where my DIY “summer school” comes in. I’ve planned out 6 subjects for myself: Writing, Literature, Art, ASL, Business, and Nonfiction. I’ve modeled the curriculum plan after various homeschool curriculum plans, to best set myself up for success.
For my remaining 3 subjects, I haven’t decided on definitive assignments yet. For Art, I think I’ll be studying art basics through YouTube, and will also be doing as many art projects as I feel like. For ASL, I’ll likely just practice my ASL daily, using YouTube to learn new signs. And for Business, I’ll just be focusing on getting my Etsy shop started. I’ve had this as my goal for the last few years, and I’m really hoping this is the year when I’ll finally start my business.
Every summer, I make a bucket list, and every summer I fail to complete it. This summer I’m hoping to change that though. I want to have an exciting and memorable summer, and a bucket list is a big part of that. Some things on my summer bucket list are to make some new IRL friends, have a sunrise picnic, do something really impulsive (ie: sing broadway songs in the grocery store), go to the boardwalk (I’m terrified for this one, seeing as I have severe sensory issues), go see The Little Mermaid in theatres, see my friend in a local production of The Little Mermaid, visit a water park, and try out the paperclip challenge (in which you trade a paperclip for something else, and trade that something else for something else, and so on).
I highly recommend making a YA novel worthy bucket list (:
4. Find a Job or Volunteer Position (or Both!)
Taking advantage of all your free time in summer to help someone else or make some money is one of the smartest choices you can make, both for your future and for your wallet. I’ve already applied for multiple jobs near me, including at Starbucks, Old Navy, and multiple other random businesses. Along with that, I’ve signed up to volunteer as an STM at Joni & Friends family retreat, and I’ve applied to help out at a horseback riding program for kids with disabilities.
If you’re under 16, and can’t get hired for a job/volunteer position, I’d recommend trying out starting your own business. (:
5. Make a Plan to Stay Off of Devices as Much as Possible
There’s something about summer that just encourages everyone to be glued to their devices (myself included). After the initial charm of summer has worn off, there’s just yucky sticky heat and boredom to last for days. It’s hard to resist the urge to be online all day.
That being said, it’s so good for you to get off your devices. Go outside, snuggle with your dog, hang out with your friends. Get off those devices.
(Also, completely random and off topic, but have you drank any water in the last hour? And have you gotten up and stretched in the last two hours? If not, please get off this blog post and take care of yourself. 💛)
6. Go on Little Adventures Around Your Town
I know, I know, you know your town like the back of your hand, and there’s nothing fun about pretending to be a tourist. You’re probably rolling your eyes at this point and preparing to scroll down to my next piece of advice. Please don’t! Trust me, you can have plenty of fun wherever you live. I know that for me personally, I’m planning to bike around town this summer, mostly to the library and the park. Go search for hidden spots, explore the downtown part of your town, visit your local town history museum. I guarantee you, you’ll have fun (:
7. Find a New Hobby
For me at least, there’s nothing more fun than a new hobby. I love learning new things, and I absolutely adore getting into new hobbies. Over the last 16 years, I’ve had too many hobbies to count; some of the most memorable ones were coding, writing (hah that’s still my hobby XP), art, bracelet making, and horseback riding.
So please!! Do yourself a favor and try out a new hobby. For almost any hobby, you can buy supplies for super cheap off of Amazon.
8. Intentionally Spend Time with Your Family
In the summer, everyone’s always so excited to spend time with their friends. Not so much with their family. Which breaks my heart, if we’re being honest. I wish more teenagers were aware of the amount of privilege they have to be able to spend time with their family. You won’t always have time to hang out with your family, and, you might not always have the chance to be with them. Make spending time with them an intention. Trust me, you won’t regret it. 💛
(That being said, if you have a toxic/abusive family, please distance yourself from them. Your emotional and physical safety matter.)
9. Buy a Cheap Camera and Document Your Summer on It
Alright, I know this one is all over TikTok, so I won’t spend much time explaining. Just buy a cheap camera (I found this one on Shein for $10), and take as many photos and videos of your summer as you can. It’s so fun (:
10. Take a Class at Your Local Community College
For those of you who want more than just DIY summer school, I’d recommend taking a class at your local community college, or even at a college that is far away from you but offers classes online. High school students generally get to take these courses for free, and these courses typically count for a whole year of a school subject. Highly recommend (:
Thank you so so much for reading this mess of a post 😅 If you enjoyed this, please consider leaving a like, a comment, and subscribing for similar content.
What are you planning to do this summer? Are you excited for summer? Let me know in the comments!
Over the last few years, I’ve learned just how important habits are. When used for good, they can be so powerful and life changing. But when used for bad, well, they can become dangerous. Bad habits (ie: swearing, staying up late, etc) are easier to develop than good habits (ie: waking up early, reading your bible regularly, etc), and are also harder to break than good habits. It’s so easy to break a rhythm that’s for your good. It’s much harder to break a bad habit. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way. Currently trying to break my cussing habit, and it’s harder than it seems. I’m also trying to develop a habit of waking up early to spend time with God, and let me tell you, that’s been almost impossible.
That being said, here’s a list of 5 habits I’m trying to implement into my life. I hope you guys find these helpful. 💛 Please remember to start slow, and be kind to yourself when you mess up, because I can guarantee you, you will mess up. You’re only human, not a superhero. It’s okay if you mess up. Just remember to get back up again after messing up, k? Every day is a fresh start. 💛
Putting a Glass of Water Next to Your Bed
Friends, your body needs this so badly. Especially if you’re the sort of person who forgets to drink water throughout the day. It’s so important to start your day with a few sips of water (please don’t chug the water, that will only upset your stomach). Plus, keeping a glass of water next to my bed helps me to remember to drink water throughout the day. Whatever I don’t drink in the early morning, I try to drink later in the day.
Adding lemon juice, fruit, or even a little bit of sugar can also help motivate you to drink more. Just don’t leave flavored water out for longer than 4 hours 😉
Making Your Bed First Thing in the Morning
Due to my health issues, making my bed when I first wake up isn’t always the easiest thing, but I’ve found that it can be so helpful for getting my mind into the right mindset after I wake up. Obviously, I wouldn’t recommend this if it’s too much for you physically– as my health has gotten worse over the last few months, I’ve learned just how exhausting even simple tasks like making your bed can be.
If you can make your bed though, please do it. 💛
Reading the Bible at Least Once a Day
I’ve found that reading my bible, especially in the early morning, is so helpful for my soul. When I leave my room, I’m immediately hit with a thousand different worldviews, and it’s so hard to discern which ones are God-honoring and which aren’t, especially if I haven’t spent time in God’s Word first.
I also like to, when I have the energy, read a few Psalms right before bed. This is especially good if I haven’t gotten in any time with the Lord earlier in the day. Plus, it helps set my mind on all that is true, lovely, and pure (Philippians 4:8-9). Something about the Psalms soothes my intrusive thoughts– not perfectly, but just enough that I can fall back asleep.
Cleaning Your Room Daily
I’ve always had a tendency to have a messy room. When I was about 12-ish, my room was so bad that I couldn’t see the floor 😂 I can’t find a photo of my room at it’s worst, but I did find this photo that shows just how bad it was at its’ best 😂
Anyways though, the point of that highly disturbing example *shudders* is to show that cleaning your room is extremely important. Whenever my room gets messy like that (usually when I’m depressed), my brain feels super messy and foggy and confused. Keeping my room clean helps my brain to feel better, and also helps keep me productive and motivated (: Let me know in the comments if you guys want a room tour (I promise my room is a lot prettier now than it was when I was in middle school 😂)
Working Out at Least Once a Week
This is definitely harder, especially if you have a chronic or mental illness, or are neurodivergent. Finding energy to workout is really hard for me (due to low executive functioning and very low energy), but I always feel so much better when I make the time to. Even sometimes just a short walk with Sushi counts as a workout– I like to double these as prayer walks when my attention span is feeling up for that.
My personal favorite workout YouTuber is Callie Jardine (:
Thank you so so much for reading this post, friends! 💛 I’m incredibly thankful to have you guys reading my posts– it always makes me smile (: I hope you were able to find some good inspiration for living a healthier lifestyle.
Friendly reminder that it’s okay if you have days (or even weeks) where you can’t maintain any healthy habits. I completely get it. Please be gentle with yourself. 💛
If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving it a like, a comment, and follow me for similar content! Ily all so much 💛
What habits are you working on making a part of your routine? Let me know in the comments!
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